At ADROIT, we talk a lot about the power of color, personalization, and the little details. We believe these elements are incredibly important to a well-designed space, as is a commitment to environmental sustainability. Whenever possible, we love to reuse, reupholster, and reinvigorate pieces in our clients’ homes—whether they are cherished family heirlooms, relatively recent acquisitions, or brand-new items that simply need a little something special.
In today’s design spotlight, I am thrilled to share an example of this philosophy in action from my own home: Ginkgo Garden Replanted.
When I moved into the original Ginkgo Garden (which, I’m incredibly proud to say, was an Apartment Therapy Small/Cool Best Vibe winner!), I purchased a set of buffet lamps for my desk that came with plain, cream linen lampshades. Candidly, I didn’t think much about them at the time. I was just beginning my journey into the world of high-end, maximalist residential interiors and hadn’t really started exploring the breathtaking range of possibilities for every single item and surface in a home.
Fast forward to the Spring of 2025. When I moved into my new space, I immediately noticed how painfully plain those lampshades looked against my stunning new crane wallpaper. I knew I had to take action. I still liked the shape and texture of the original shades and didn’t want to simply replace them, but introducing another fabric pattern felt wrong for the room. It took a minute, but then the perfect solution dawned on me: trim. By adding trim to the top and bottom of each shade, I could give them the punch and personality they desperately needed.
I ordered an array of trim samples from my favorite vendors and quickly fell in love with Fabricut’s Toshi Gold. The way the little brass spheres inside each embroidered square picked up on the spheres in the lamp body, contrasting beautifully against the square acrylic base, was absolutely perfect! While I always leave this type of custom work to the professionals for my clients, I was more than happy to spend a cozy Saturday afternoon on my living room floor, catching up on TV while meticulously cutting and gluing.
I soon realized I was facing a similar dilemma in my living room. To properly light this larger space, I had purchased two floor lamps featuring a fabulous snakeskin and brass base, but they came with yet another pair of plain white lampshades. I looked at what felt like every fabric under the sun, but nothing felt quite right alongside the lamps, the wallpaper, and the drapery. Then, the answer hit me: the solution, once again, was decorative trim!
Instead of focusing solely on the edges, I wanted to challenge my DIY skills a little (okay, a lot) more by creating a center stripe of wide tape, beautifully banded on the top and bottom with cord. I found my answer again at Fabricut with their Trend 04722 in Teal—it looked as though it was custom-made to live with my wallpaper! I complemented it with Trend 05203 Marine and added a slim stripe of Fabricut Notions Navy on the top and bottom edges.
While the shades looked lovely, the design still felt incomplete. I knew I needed another tape in between to balance out the remaining solid white space. Please believe me when I say I looked at every option. As a rule, I dislike repeating fabrics or details across projects, but there was Toshi Gold, sitting on my desk and looking better than every other option… again. I wouldn’t typically repeat a detail like this for a client, but for my own home, I decided to just go for it—and the results were well worth it!
I love how combining different trims essentially created an entirely new textile, perfectly tailored to my specific space. Most importantly, I love that I didn’t have to replace or discard anything; instead, I was able to creatively update and elevate the pieces I already owned.
Till next time…
Madelaine
